I picked this one up for $2 somewhere, and read it a couple years ago. It was a good book, and I've decided to review it only because I feel it is an important novel in the genre of science fiction. The first book I ever read by Wyndham was The Chrysalids, which I had to read in High School. I didn't really enjoy that one, probably because my English teacher beat us over the head with things like "symbolism" and "Christ-like figures". The story starts as the main character, William Masen, wakes up in a Hospital after being treated for an eye injury. The world is being bombarded by what looks like green comets, and he can't see a thing due to a bandage on his head. This is where the irony comes in. Everyone is so taken in by this "wonderful sight", but it turns out afterwards everyone who saw the meteor shower goes blind. The rest of the novel is played out like the aftermath of armageddon. No one is around, except bumbling townspeople who can't see anything, and of course the evil triffids. The triffids were basically plants that were harvested by humans for their many uses, and no one really knew where they came from. The were thought of as mostly harmless...until they recieved the ability to move around and wreak havoc from the meteor shower. This novel is an easy read, and it goes by quickly due to Wyndham's light writing style. Every character is clich�d of course, but characters have nothing to do with what makes this novel good. It's the fact that there world is not saved at the end (like in every disaster movie you see these days), instead it shows the willingness of the human race to survive through this strife. The few people that survived the meteor shower and attacks of the triffids must build a colony and start again, while still fending off the irreversible effects of the meteor shower. This book may not appeal to everyone, but I enjoyed it because of its dark underlying message. Rating: *** (Added 1999.06.20)